18 F-THK5351 PET Is Superior to Conventional MRI in Identifying Inflammatory Lesions by Imaging Astrogliosis in 2 Cases of Neurosyphilis.

Abstract

18 F-labeled THK5351 PET can visualize ongoing astrogliosis by estimating monoamine oxidase B levels and can be used as a neuroinflammation marker for identifying inflammatory lesions by imaging astrogliosis. Assessment of its performance is of interest, especially when compared with conventional MRI. Here, we present 2 cases of neurosyphilis, in which 18 F-THK5351 PET identified inflammatory lesions by imaging astrogliosis, whereas MRI had difficulty detecting the lesions. Hence, this study suggests that 18 F-THK5351 PET is superior to conventional MRI in identifying inflammatory lesions and that this feature of 18 F-THK5351 can provide insights into the pathophysiology of neurosyphilis in living patients.